Vote helps restore faith in city court

Hattiesburg City Council took a big step this past week toward restoring the integrity of the city's embattled municipal court.

On Tuesday, council approved Hattiesburg attorney Jerry Evans as the new - and lone - municipal court judge.

"My job will be to bring the city court system into the 21st century and make it something that citizens can be, not proud of - that's not the appropriate word - but feel like they can have trust in," said Evans, upon his appointment.

Regaining residents' trust might take some work.

Hattiesburg's municipal court system has drawn fire ever since an internal Hattiesburg Police Department investigation found evidence of court employees improperly destroying warrants and receiving rewards for dismissing tickets, fines and warrants, among other acts of unethical behavior.

The internal investigation was prompted by a July 24 complaint that inappropriate conduct may be going on within the court, according to a media release from the Hattiesburg Police Department.

As a result of the HPD probe, one clerk was fired and three clerks were suspended. Officials recently said the three suspended clerks will not return to the court.

A criminal investigation was launched after the internal investigation closed.

The public's confidence in the court was shaken.

City Council publicly blasted Mayor Johnny DuPree over the handling of the situation.

Plans for a new, restructured court system called for just one judge, instead of three, with the court being its own department instead of a division of the police department.

At the end of September, City Council tabled Evans' appointment, with members saying they need assurance from DuPree that integrity would be restored to the court.

Council President Kim Bradley said they received that after a meeting with the mayor.

Evans, who has previously served as Hattiesburg's city attorney, will take over the court Nov. 6.

His appointment is a good first step in showing the city's commitment to restoring the public's confidence in Hattiesburg's municipal court system.

But it's only a step; there is still a long way to go.

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Vote helps restore faith in city court

Hattiesburg City Council took a big step this past week toward restoring the integrity of the city's embattled municipal court. On Tuesday, council approved Hattiesburg attorney Jerry Evans as the